Holding and releasing mechanism for spiral binder applying machines

ABSTRACT

A spiral binder applying machine having two guide roller supports between which a pack of sheets is clamped, the spiral wire being guided by slots in the supports. The stationary support has a pair of hooks pivotally-actuatable between upper supporting positions engageable with looseleaf holes in the pack and lower releasing positions. In one embodiment of the invention, a pair of stripping plates are provided for facilitating removal of the pack from the hooks as they approach their releasing positions.

United States Patent Inventor Ihns A. Sickinger Bloomfield ilk, Mich.

Appl. No. 811,731

Filed Apr. 1, 1969 Patented Juiy 13, 1971 Assignee Hans Sickinger Co.

Pontiac, Mich.

Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 662,013, Aug. 21, 1967, now Patent No. 3,486,537, dated Dec. 30, 1969.

HOLDING AND RELEASING MECHANISM FOR SPIRAL BINDER APPLYING MACHINES 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

Int. Cl 321i 21/00 Field of Search... 140/9293, 92.94, 92.3

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,638,609 5/1953 Penner 140/923 3,378,046 4/1968 Ostermeier 140/9294 Primary ExaminerCharles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-R. M. Rogers Attorney-Harness, Dickey & Pierce ABSTRACT: A spiral binder applying machine having two guide roller supports between which a pack of sheets is clamped, the spiral wire being guided by slots in the supports. The stationary support has a pair of hooks pivotally-actuatable between upper supporting positions engageable with looseleaf holes in the pack and lower releasing positions. In one embodiment of the invention, a pair of stripping plates are provided for facilitating removal of the pack from the hooks as they approach their releasing positions.

SHEET 1 OF 4 PATENTEU JUL! 3 m1 VVt PATENTED JULI 319?: 3. 592,242

SHEET 3 [IF 4 INVENTUR.

HOLDING AND RELEASING MECHANISM FOR SPIRAL BINDER APPLYING MACHINES This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application of Ser. No. 662,013 filed Aug. 21, I967, now US. Pat. No. 3,486,537 dated Dec. 30, 1969, entitled Holding and Releasing Mechanism for Spiral Binder Applying Machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to binding machines for paper sheets, and more particularly to machines in which a spiral wire is fed through holes in the sheets, the sheets also being provided with larger holes for alternate use in looseleaf form.

2. Description of the Prior Art In prior art machines of this type, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,378,046, issued Apr. I6, 1968 to Claus Ostermeier and entitled Spiral Binder," hooks are provided for supporting the pack of sheets on a stationary guide roller support, these hooks being fixed to the support. With this priorart machine, it is necessary for the operator to place each pack of sheets on the two fixed hooks, and after the binding operation, manually remove the pack from the hooks before picking up the next pack to be mounted thereon for binding.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention contemplates the use of a pair of hooks pivotally mounted on the fixed guide roller support for movement between an upper supporting position and a lower releasing position. In the supporting position, the hooks will pass through larger holes in the paper sheets which are provided for looseleaf use. In the releasing position the hooks will permit the bound pack to drop by gravity. An operator may thus be picking up the next pack of sheets while the bound pack is being released. The hooks are actuated by a fluidoperated reciprocating motor connected to a rocking bar on which the hooks are mounted.

In one embodiment of the invention, a pair of rectangular stripping plates are stationarily mounted below the hooks and have slots in which the hooks move. These stripping plates are engageable by the book as the hooks approach their lower position and insure proper removal of the book.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view in elevation of a binding machine incorporating the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in elevation showing the guide roller supports and one of the pivotally mounted hooks together with a portion of its actuating means;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the rear guide roller support and hooks together with their actuating means;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a portion of the construction shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view of a portion of one of the paper sheets showing the holes for the spiral binder and the holes for looseleaf binding;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view ofa second embodiment of the invention which incorporates a pair of stripper plates for the hooks;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 6, parts being broken away, and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view in cross section taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7 and showing the mounting portion of a stripper plate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, the machine is generally indicated at 21 and comprises a frame generally indicated at 22 adapted to rest on the floor. This frame has left hand and right-hand upright sideplates 23 and 24 between which are disposed the main machine components. These sideplates aresecured together by appropriate crossmembers such as the upper member 25, indicated in FIG. 1. A wire guide tube 26 is secured to the upper portion of frame 21 adjacent the left-hand end thereof, this tube being horizontally disposed'and adapted to guide a wire 27 that is fed from a spool (not shown) to the rear of the machine. A pulley 28 is secured to plate 23 forwardly of tube 26 and aligned therewith. From pulley 28 the wire is led downwardly toward a wire-coiling tool 29.

Coiling tool 29 is of conventional construction and need not be described in detail. A number of interchangeable coiling tools are provided for different spiral diameters, and the coiling tool is removably mounted on a coiling tool body 31 by a knurled nut 32. The coiling tool has a mandrel surrounded by a slotted member, the wireentering the slotted member at the left-hand end thereof and being coiled by the mandrel, exiting at the right-hand end of the tool in the form of a spiral wire which, as it turns, will pass successively through a series of holes in a package of sheets and covers 33 (FIG. 2) which are held in alignment therewith by means described below. 7

Coiling tool body 31 is shown as being mounted on lefthand sideplate 23 by an adjustable means, including an adjustable member 34 and adjusting screw 35, so that it may be adjusted to different positions for different sizes of wire spirals.

The means for clamping pack 33 in position and guiding the spiral binder includes a forward guide roller support member 36, a rear guide roller support member 37, a forward guide roller 38 rotatably mounted within member 36 and a rear guide roller 39 rotatably mounted within member 37 (FIG. 2).

Guide roller support members 36 and 37 are of elongated shape and have rectangular cross sections. Rear guide roller support member 37 is mounted on a pair of brackets-40 and 41 attached to sideplates 23 and 24 respectively. A bar 42 extends between these brackets behind support 37. The lefthand end of member 37 is adjacent the exit of coiling tool 29 and its right-hand end is adjacent plate 24.

Front guide roller support 36 is mounted for swinging movement on a rockable shaft 43 which is disposed above and parallel to coiling tool 29, and extends between sideplates 23 and 24. A sleeve 44 is fixedly mounted on shaft 43 and carries a pair of arms 45 and 46 at opposite ends thereof, member 36 being secured to the outer ends of these arms. Member 36 is swingable between a retracted position shown in FIG. I, and a clamping position shown in FIG. 2. In its retracted position, member 36 is spaced forwardly from member 37, giving sufficient space for the operator to place the perforated edge of a pack 33 against the forward face of member 37. When in its clamping position, member 36 will engage pack 33, clamping it against member 37. While in this position, wire 27 will be fed from tool 29 through perforations 46 in the edge of pack 33. A shoe 47 (FIG. 2) disposed over the exit of tool 29 will prevent undue upward movement of the spiral wire as it leaves the coiling tool.

The construction of guide roller support members 36 and 37 is described in detail in the aforesaid patent. Briefly, forward member 36 has a flat rearwardlyfacing surface 48 interrupted by vertical slots 49 communicating with a bore 51. F orward guide roller 38 is rotatably mounted within this bore and is adapted to drive the spiral wire as it passes through the perforations 46. Member 37 has a flat forwardly facing surface 53 interrupted by vertical slots 54 mating with a bore 55 which rotatably supports rear guide roller 39.

The present invention concerns the means for initially supporting and releasing pack 33. The invention is particularly useful for relatively thick packs which, in addition to the series of holes 47 for the spiral wire, has three larger holes 58 and 59 for alternate use of the pages in looseleaf books of the ring type. As seen in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the initial supporting and releasing means comprise a pair of hooks 61 and 62 beneath rear guide roller support 37 and extending forwardly therefrom adjacent the left and right-hand ends of the support member. The hooks are of sufficient length to enable them to pass through holes 57 and 59 of pack 33, and the ends have curved upper surfaces 63 with the radius conforming to that of the spiral wire, so that when pack 33 hangs on these hooks, holes 46 -will adjust themselves to this curvature. The hooks also extend at an angle corresponding to the pitch of the spiral wire. v

The rearward portions of hooks 61 and 62 are secured to a shaft 64 which extends beneath andparallel to bar 43. The opposite ends of this shaft are rotatably supported by a pair of brackets 65 and 66 secured to bar 43.

An arm 67 is secured to shaft 64 at the intermediate portion thereof and extends downwardly as seen in FIG. 2. A piston rod 68 is pivotally secured to the lower end of this arm by a pin 69. The piston rod is carried by a trunnion 71 which is pivotally supported by a bracket 72 extending downwardly from a platform 73, which is secured to bar 43 by bolts 74. A reciprocable fluid-actuated motor 75 is carried by trunnion 71 and operates piston rod 68. j

The arrangement is such that whenpiston rod 68 is inits extended position, as shown in FIG. 2, hooks 61 and 62 will be in their supporting position. When in this position, the upwardly facing surfaces 76 of these hooks will engage the underside of support 37. Clearance recesses will be formed in support 37 to permit the hooks to be raised to this position.

Whenin their supporting position, hooks 61 and 62 will be adapted to receive a stock 33, and in particular to enter the holes 57 and 59 thereof, as seen in FIG. 2. The positions of the hooks are such that when the stack is so supported apertures 46 will be aligned so as to receive the spiral wire. Forward guide roller support 36 may then be brought to its clamping position, slots 49 being provided with clearance recesses to avoid interference with the hooks.

After the spiral wire has been fully fed and severed, forward guide roller support 36 will be brought to its raised position as shown in FIG. 1. Piston rod 68 may then be retracted to the right from its FIG. 2 position, rocking shaft 64 counterclockwise and thus also rocking hooks 61 and 62 counterclockwise. The hooks will then release the wire-bound stack 33 so that it may drop by gravity. The operator may thus be taking a newstack to place on the hooks while the bound stack is being released.

' FIGSQ6 to 8 show a second embodiment of the invention which is similar to the first embodiment but incorporates a pair of stripper plates 101 and 102 for hooks 61 and 62 respectively. These stripper plates are of generally rectangular shape and are mounted below their respective hooks. More particularly, plates 101 and 102 are vertically disposed immediately behind pack 33 when the latter is in position to be clamped, as shown in FIG. 8. The plates have clearance slots 103 and 104 respectively for the hooks, slot 103 being adjacent the left side of plate 101 and slot 104 adjacent the right side of plate 102, as seen in FIG. 7..The slots are open at their upperends and are of sufficient width and length to permit swinging of the hooks between their upper and lower positrons.

The stripper plates have mounting portions 105 and 106 respectively which extend rearwardly therefrom and are secured to brackets 65 and 66 by bolts 107, as seen in FIG. 8.

The operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 6 to 8 may be best described with respect to FIG. 8. After pack 33 has been bound, hooks 61 and 62 will descend. Pack 33 will rest against stripper plates 101 and 102 and will slide downwardly thereon, while hooks 61 and 62 pass through slots 103 and 104 respectively and are withdrawn behind the stripper plate. The outward sliding movement of pack 33 with respect to hooks 61 and 62 will assure that, as the hooks reach their lowermost position, pack 33 will drop from the hooks.

Whatl claim is:

1. In a machine for binding a stack of sheets of the type having a row of relatively small perforations for receiving a wire binder and at least two relatively large perforations for use in looseleaf form, a fixed support, a movable support, said supports having facing surfaces, the movable support being movale between a retracted position and a clamping position in which an edge of said stack is clamped between said surfaces, means for initially retaining said stack in position to be clamped, said last mentioned means comprising a pair of hooks pivotally mounted below said stationary support and extending forwardly therefrom, means for rocking said hooks between an upper retaining position adjacent said stationary support and a lower releasing position in which the bound stack may be removed from said hooks, and a pair of stripper plates stationarily mounted below said hooks and having upwardly open clearance slots permitting movement of the hooks between their upper and lower positions, said plates being positioned immediately behind said stack when in its clamping position, whereby the plates will strip the bound stack from the hooks when the latter move to their releasing position.

2. The combination according to claim 1, further provided with mounting portions extending rearwardly from said stripper plates, and means securing said mounting portions to 

1. In a machine for binding a stack of sheets of the type having a row of relatively small perforations for receiving a wire binder and at least two relatively large perforations for use in looseleaf form, a fixed support, a movable support, said supports having facing surfaces, the movable support being movable between a retracted position and a clamping position in which an edge of said stack is clamped between said surfaces, means for initially retaining said stack in position to be clamped, said last mentioned means comprising a pair of hooks pivotally mounted below said stationary support and extending forwardly therefrom, means for rocking said hooks between an upper retaining position adjacent said stationary support and a lower releasing position in which the bound stack may be removed from said hooks, and a pair of stripper plates stationarily mounted below said hooks and having upwardly open clearance slots permitting movement of the hooks between their upper and lower positions, said plates being positioned immediately behind said stack when in its clamping position, whereby the plates will strip the bound stack from the hooks when the latter move to their releasing position.
 2. The combination according to claim 1, further provided with mounting portions extending rearwardly from said stripper plates, and means securing said mounting portions to said fixed support.
 3. The combination according to claim 2, said stripper plates being of generally rectangular shape, the slot in each of said stripper plates being adjacent one side thereof, said mounting portions being adjacent the other sides thereof. 